Combined coat and trouser hanger having bent wire connecting member



Aug. 4, 1964 N. E. BROOKE 3,143,261

COMBINED COAT AND TROUSER HANGER HAVING BENT WIRE CONNECTING MEMBERFiled July 18, 1961 INV ENT OR jl brmlflmoke ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,143,261 COMBINED COAT AND TROUSER HANGER HAV- ING BENT WIRECONNECTING MEMBER Norman E. Brooke, 3232 Rittenhouse St. NW.,Washington, D.C. Filed July 18, 1961, Ser. No. 124,939 2 Claims. (Cl.223-91) This invention relates to improvements in garment supports andis directed to a new and novel coat and trouser hanger.

Many styles of hangers have been developed for suspending coats andtrousers together which perform the desired function efliciently, butwhich nevertheless are designed with a lack of ingenuity and foresightwhich materially aifects the value of the article from the economicpoint of view both of the manufacturer and the consumer. Such lack ofingenuity also afiects the ease with which the hanger can be handled inuse, even though, as above stated it may serve its purpose as asupporting device after the coat and trousers have been respectivelyhung thereon and secured thereto.

It is an object of the present invention, in view of the foregoing, toprovide a new hanger device for a coat and trousers wherein theindividual parts are fabricated and joined together in a novel andunique manner which is not only simple and easy to use or operate, butwhich may be produced and sold economically. It is another object ofthis invention to provide a hanger which not only has the foregoingadvantages, but one in which the said advantages are to be attained to agreat extent by reason of the fact that an important element of thedevice may be readily formed from a suitable gauge, spring metal wireand can be secured to other elements with a minimum of labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger of the characterstated wherein a coat supporting bar and a pair of jaw members forgripping and suspending a pair of trousers, are coupled together by aunique type of spring unit formed in one piece from a suitable length ofspring wire, in such a manner that it may be firmly fixed to the coatbar with a single fastener element and wherein the unit includes springlegs to which the jaw members are fixed, which legs are biased toseparate the jaw memers, and there being an easily manipulated meansconnecting the legs by which the jaws may be drawn together to grip anarticle therebetween.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the combination hanger of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the spring unit per se.

FIGURE 4 is a section detail taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will be seen uponreference to FIGURE 1, that the hanger comprises a long, one piece,longitudinally arcuate bar 10, to which are attached the one piecespring unit 12 and the pair of jaw members forming the trouser cuffgripping means 14.

The bar 19 is formed, preferably by stamping, from an elongate singlepiece of material of suitable character, such as aluminum or steel, or acombination of the same, or other metals, or it may be formed by themolding of a suitable plastic such, for example, as Lucite.

The bar is of a suitable width and thickness. As an example, and withoutintending to in any way limit the invention, it may be stated that thebar may be about 3,143,261 Patented Aug. 4, 1964 "ice one or oneand-a-half inches in width and have a thickness of from aboutthree-thirty seconds. to oneeighth inch.

The bar 10, in addition to being generally arcuate throughout itslength, is formed with a short centrally located arcuate portion 29,which curves sharply downward at its ends, as at 22, and then mergesinto the relatively long and very slightly longitudinally curved, orvery nearly straight, oppositely directed extension portions 24, andthese terminate in the downturned tips 26.

The bar 19, in addition, is preferably slightly transversely bowed, orarcuate, the convex side being uppermost, as seen in FIGURE 2.

At the transverse center of the bar 10, a hole 28 is formed to receivethe threaded lower end or shank of a hanger hook, generally designated30, the threaded shank end of which is designated 34.

The spring unit 12 is formed of a single length of spring wire. As bestseen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the wire is bent or shaped midway of its lengthto form a unique top or head portion, generally designated 36 and thetwo spring leg portions 38, the free ends or tips of the latter beingflattened as at 4%, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the fabrication of the head 36, the wire is bent to form the eye 42,by making a single loop, or convolution.

Each end of the eye forming loop extends outwardly and downwardly at anangle from the plane of the eye, which is substantially horizontal whenthe hanger is susended, and each of such eye ends joins, or continuesinto, an end of a single convolution spring coil or loop, 44, the otherend of which continues downwardly into the outwardly bowed leg 38. Thesespring coils lie opposed in a common vertical plane, perpendicular tothe hori zontal and on opposite sides, of and perpendicular to avertical plane passing through the radial center of the eye 42.

The cuff gripping means 14, comprises the two jaw members 45. Each ofthese jaw members is formed from a strip of flat resilient metal whichis longitudinally arcuate through the major portion of its length. Eachjaw member has a short flat terminal portion 46, ateach end. Theseterminal portions of the jaw members come into parallel, fiat engagementwhen the jaw members are pressed together to grip a garmenttherebetween. Also, the jaw members are disposed with their concavesides opposed, or facing one another. This arrangement provides amplespace between the jaw members inwardly of the portions 46, for the seamportions of trouser cuffs.

Each jaw member has a portion midway between its ends, pressed out toform the outwardly projecting loop 47, on the convex side of the jaw.Each of the loops 47 has the flat end 4% of a spring leg disposedtherethrough and the loop is pressed against the end 40. Also, the tipof the flat end it? is bent outwardly slightly, as shown at 48, whicheifectively eliminates any chance of the end of the leg pulling out ofthe loop.

Each of the flat ends 46 of one jaw member is pressed in from the outerside to form an inwardly projecting button as shown at 43. Each of thefiat ends 46 of the other jaw member is pressed from the inside of themember to form on the inside a depression 49 in position to receive theadjacent button 48, when the jaw members are in closed position, therebyproviding a means for firmly gripping a garment.

To further add to the firm, non-slipping action of the jaw members whenclosed together, the inner surface of each is covered by a suitablefriction material 50, which may be sponge rubber, plastic, felt or othersuitable material.

Surrounding the spring legs and coupling them together is the elongateslip ring 51. This ring, when forced down on the spring legs 38, is ofproper length to draw the legs toward one another sufiiciently to pressthe flat end of the two jaw members firmly together. If the materialbetween the jaw members is thick the spring legs will yield and also theresilient arcuate jaw members will flex so that a proper gripping actionis obtained.

Also it will be seen that, in addition to the resilient tensioning ofthe spring legs 38, by theaction of forcing the ring 51 down thereon,the spring coils 44 will be tensioned, and when the ring is slid up onthe legs, the spring coils will assist in quickly separating the jawmembers.

In the assembling of the device, a nut 52 is threaded onto the hookshank and the threaded end of the shank, below the nut, is passedthrough the hole 28. The eye 42, of the head of the spring unit, is thenslipped onto the end of the hook shank and positioned against theconcave underside of the coat bar. A nut 53 is then threaded onto theshank and, when the spring unit is adjusted so that the legs 38 and thespring convolutions 44 lie in a plane perpendicular to the coat bar, thenut is then drawn up tightly against the underside of the eye to pressthe latter tightly against the bar. If desired a suitable lock washer,of known form, may be placed between the eye 42 and the nut 53.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the combined coat and trouserhanger of the present invention, is of relatively simple design and maybe made light in weight but of strong and durable construction. Also theparts are easily formed and can be assembled and firmly joined togethereasily and quickly.

I claim:

1. In a combined coat and trouser hanger wherein there is an elongate,longitudinally arcuate coat supporting bar and a pair of elongatecooperating jaw members disposed longitudinally of the concave side ofsaid bar; the combination with said bar and jaw members of a one piece,substantially U-shaped inverted spring metal connecting member betweenthe bar and said jaw members, said connecting member being formed from asingle length of resilient wire and having spaced leg portions joined toa head portion, said head portion including a central eye part and apair of spring parts connecting the eye part to the leg portions, meanspassing through the eye part and securing the latter to the underside ofthe bar midway between the ends of the latter, a suspension hookattached to the top of the bar midway between the ends of the bar, saidleg portions having the ends thereof remote from said spring parts eachsecured to one of said jaw members midway of the ends thereof, said legportions being biased to move apart and separate the jaw members, meansconnecting the leg portions for facilitating drawing together the endsthereof and the jaw members, each of said spring parts consisting of asingle convolution of the wire, one end of each convolution merging witha leg part, said eye part also consisting of a single convolution havingtwo ends each of which merges with another end of a spring convolutionand said spring convolutions being in edge to edge relation and lying ina plane perpendicular to the bar and said eye part lying in a planewhich is substantially horizontal in the operative position of thehanger and perpendicular to the first plane, and said suspension hookhaving a shank end which passes through the bar and constitutes the saidmeans passing through the eye and secured thereto.

2. A garment hanger comprising an elongate, longitudinally arcuate coatsupporting bar having an aperture therethrough midway of its ends, asuspension hook including a shank having an end passing through saidaperture from the convex side of said bar, a pair of elongate,longitudinally arcuate jaw members having their concave sides opposed,an inverted substantially U-shaped wire connecting member between saidbar and said jaws and having a head portion and elongate longitudinallybowed spring leg portions, said head portion consisting of a loopforming an eye having two ends, each of said eye ends joining an end ofa single convolution coil spring, the other end of each coil springjoining a top end of a spring leg portion, said coil springs being inedge opposed relation with their axes substantially parallel andextending longitudinally of said bar, said eye loop having its axissubstantially perpendicular to and passing substantially centrallybetween said axes of said coil springs, said eye loop being disposedagainst the concave underside of said coat-bar and having said hookshank passing therethrough, means securing said shank, eye loop and coatbar together with said spring leg portions bowing outwardly and beingbiased to separate at their free ends, means securing said free ends ofthe spring leg portions to said jaw members, and means connecting saidleg portions and movable thereon for drawing the same and the jawmembers together.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS702,619 Black -1 June 17, 1902 1,342,265 Johnson June 1, 1920 2,238,519Drake Apr. 15, 1941 2,650,717 Larson Sept. 1, 1953 2,690,282 DonahueSept. 28, 1954 2,747,914 Lyons May 29, 1956 2,924,362 Brooke Feb. 9,1960 2,970,726 Brooke Feb. 7, 1961 3,073,491 Brooke Jan. 15, 1963FOREIGN PATENTS 50,868 Germany Feb. 15, 1890 12,759 Great Britain of1893

1. IN A COMBINED COAT AND TROUSER HANGER WHEREIN THERE IS AN ELONGATE,LONGITUDINALLY ARCUATE COAT SUPPORTING BAR AND A PAIR OF ELONGATECOOPERATING JAW MEMBERS DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CONCAVE SIDE OFSAID BAR; THE COMBINATION WITH SAID BAR AND JAW MEMBERS OF A ONE PIECE,SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED INVERTED SPRING METAL CONNECTING MEMBER BETWEENTHE BAR AND SAID JAW MEMBERS, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER BEING FORMED FROM ASINGLE LENGTH OF RESILIENT WIRE AND HAVING SPACED LEG PORTIONS JOINED TOA HEAD PORTION, SAID HEAD PORTION INCLUDING A CENTRAL EYE PART AND APAIR OF SPRING PARTS CONNECTING THE EYE PART TO THE LEG PORTIONS, MEANSPASSING THROUGH THE EYE PART AND SECURING THE LATTER TO THE UNDERSIDE OFTHE BAR MIDWAY BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE LATTER, A SUSPENSION HOOKATTACHED TO THE TOP OF THE BAR MIDWAY BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE BAR, SAIDLEG PORTIONS HAVING THE ENDS THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID SPRING PARTS EACHSECURED TO ONE OF SAID JAW MEMBERS MIDWAY OF THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID LEGPORTIONS BEING BIASED TO MOVE APART AND SEPARATE THE JAW MEMBERS, MEANSCONNECTING THE LEG PORTIONS FOR FACILITATING DRAWING TOGETHER THE ENDSTHEREOF AND THE JAW MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID SPRING PARTS CONSISTING OF ASINGLE CONVOLUTION OF THE WIRE, ONE END OF EACH CONVOLUTION MERGING WITHA LEG PART, SAID EYE PART ALSO CONSISTING OF A SINGLE CONVOLUTION HAVINGTWO ENDS EACH OF WHICH MERGES WITH ANOTHER END OF A SPRING CONVOLUTIONAND SAID SPRING CONVOLUTIONS BEING IN EDGE TO EDGE RELATION AND LYING INA PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE BAR AND SAID EYE PART LYING IN A PLANEWHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL IN THE OPERATIVE POSITION OF THEHANGER AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE FIRST PLANE, AND SAID SUSPENSION HOOKHAVING A SHANK END WHICH PASSES THROUGH THE BAR AND CONSITITUTES THESAID MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE EYE AND SECURED THERETO.